Snow White premiered at theCarthay Circle Theatre inLos Angeles, California, on December 21, 1937, and went into general release in the United States on February 4, 1938. Despite initial doubts from the film industry, it was a critical and commercial success, with international earnings of more than $8 million during its initial release against a $1.5 million production cost, becoming thehighest-grossing film of 1938, and briefly holding the record of the highest-grossingsound film of all time. It was also thehighest-grossing animated film for 55 years. The popularity of the film has led to its being re-released theatrically many times, until its home video release in the 1990s. Adjusted for inflation, it is one of thetop-ten performers at the North American box office and is still the highest-grossing animated film with an adjusted gross of $2,297,000,000.[4] Worldwide, its inflation-adjusted earnings top the animation list.[5]Snow White was nominated forBest Musical Score at theAcademy Awards in 1938, andthe next year, producerWalt Disney was awarded an honorary Oscar for the film. This award was unique, consisting of one normal-sized, plus seven miniature Oscar statuettes. They were presented to Disney byShirley Temple.[6]
Having lost both of her parents at a young age,Snow White is a princess living with her wicked and cold-hearted stepmother, theQueen.[a] Fearing that Snow White's beauty will outshine her own, the Queen forces her to work as ascullery maid and asks herMagic Mirror daily "who is the fairest one of all." For years, the mirror always answers that the Queen is, pleasing her.
One day, Snow White meets and falls in love with a prince who overhears her singing. That same day, the Magic Mirror deems Snow White as the fairest. The Queen orders herHuntsman to take Snow White into the forest, kill her, and bring back her heart in a jeweled box as proof. The Huntsman cannot bring himself to kill Snow White and warns her of the Queen's intentions. At his urging, Snow White flees deep into the forest.
Lost and frightened, Snow White is befriended by woodland animals, who lead her to a hidden woodland cottage. Finding seven small chairs in the cottage's dining room, Snow White assumes the cottage is the untidy home of seven orphaned children. With the animals' help, she proceeds to clean the place and cook a meal. Snow White soon learns that the cottage is the home of sevendwarfs named Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey, who work in a nearby mine. Returning home, they are alarmed to find their cottage clean and suspect that an intruder has invaded their home. Snow White introduces herself, and the dwarfs welcome her after she offers to clean and cook for them. Snow White keeps house for the dwarfs while they mine for jewels during the day, and at night, they all sing, play music, and dance.
Back at the castle, the Magic Mirror reveals that Snow White is still living, and with the dwarfs. Enraged that the Huntsman gave her a pig's heart, the Queen uses a potion to disguise herself as an oldpeddler and then creates a poisoned apple that will put whoever eats it into Sleeping Death. She learns the curse can be broken by "love's first kiss," but is certain Snow White will be buried alive before this can happen. The Queen goes to the cottage while the dwarfs are away. The animals see through the disguise but are unable to warn Snow White; they rush off to find the dwarfs. The Queen fools Snow White into biting into the apple, and she falls into a death-like slumber.
The dwarfs return with the animals as the Queen leaves the cottage and give chase, trapping her on a cliff. She tries to roll a boulder onto them, but lightning strikes the cliff before she can do so, causing her to fall to her death. In their cottage, the dwarfs find Snow White asleep from the poison. Unwilling to bury her, they instead place her in a glass coffin in the forest. Together with the animals, they keep watch over her.
The following spring, the prince learns of Snow White's eternal sleep and visits the coffin. Saddened by her apparent death, he kisses her, breaking the spell and awakening her. The dwarfs and animals rejoice as the prince takes Snow White to his castle.
Voice cast
Walt Disney introduces each of the Seven Dwarfs in the film's original 1937 theatrical trailer.
Adriana Caselotti as Snow White, a sweet and innocent young princess who is forced to hide from her stepmother in the cottage of the seven dwarfs.[10][11]
Lucille La Verne as the Queen, Snow White's jealous and wicked stepmother who is obsessed with being "the fairest one of all".[12][13]
La Verne also voiced the Witch, the Queen's peddlerdisguise that she uses to trick Snow White.[12][13]
Roy Atwell as Doc, the pompous yet good-hearted leader of the seven dwarfs, who is prone to usingmalapropisms when he speaks.[14][15]
Pinto Colvig as Grumpy, the most stubborn and easily irritated of the dwarfs, who initially dislikes Snow White but grows to care for her as the film progresses.[14][15]
Colvig also voiced Sleepy, the perpetually drowsy and most relaxed of the dwarfs.[15][16]
Otis Harlan as Happy, the perennially cheerful and most optimistic of the dwarfs.[14][17]
Eddie Collins as Dopey, the clumsiest and most childlike of the dwarfs, who communicates through sounds and pantomime instead of speaking.[14][15]
Harry Stockwell as the Prince, a romantic young man who falls in love with Snow White and later saves her with a true love's first kiss.[14][18]
Moroni Olsen as the Magic Mirror, a mystical object containing the Queen'sfamiliar demon, from whom she learns that Snow White has become the "fairest one of all".[18][19]
Stuart Buchanan as the Huntsman, the Queen's reluctant servant, whom she orders to kill Snow White.[20]
Production
Development
Walt Disney conceived the idea of making his first feature-length film in 1933, when hisanimation studio was focusing on production of animated short films, such as theSilly Symphonies series.[21][22] Although they were popular with the audience, Disney believed that the shorts did not bring enough profit for the further growth of the studio;[23] he also saw the full-length film as a way to expand his "storytelling possibilities",[22] allowing for elaborate plots and character development.[24] By late March 1933,[25] he was approached byMary Pickford (co-founder ofUnited Artists that was distributing Disney's works at the time) with a proposal for a feature-length animated/live-action version ofLewis Carroll's novelAlice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865);[21] however, the project was soon scrapped whenParamount Pictures began production of theirown film version.[26] Disney then considered using the same concept for a film adaptation ofWashington Irving's short story "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) starringWill Rogers,[27] but it did not work out either due to Paramount, which held the rights to the story, refusing to give permission.[28]
After the successful release of theSilly Symphony shortThree Little Pigs in May 1933, Disney was strengthened in his decision to make a feature film and began introducing the idea to his staff through a "slow infiltration" – sharing it with everyone individually during casual conversations.[21][29] He entered into negotiations withMerian C. Cooper to produce a full-length animated version ofVictor Herbert's 1903 operettaBabes in Toyland inTechnicolor;[30] the project was offered toRKO Radio Pictures, which owned the rights to the play, but RKO executives rejected it.[31][b] In July 1933, Disney first revealed his plans on making a feature film toThe Film Daily (although he had not yet managed to receive a response from the United Artists executives), and around the same time, he was approached with an offer for an animated version ofFelix Salten's 1923 novelBambi, a Life in the Woods in alliance withSidney Franklin.[32][33][34] Disney eventually rejected the idea, feeling that his studio was not ready for the technical challenges thatBambi would have presented.[33][c]Homer's poemsIliad andOdyssey, as well asJonathan Swift's 1726 bookGulliver's Travels, were also suggested to Disney at the time.[34]
I don't know why I pickedSnow White. It's a thing I remembered as a kid. I sawMarguerite Clark in it inKansas City one time when I was a newsboy. They had a big showing for all the newsboys. And I went and sawSnow White. It was probably one of my first big feature pictures I'd ever seen. That was back in 1916 or something. Somewhere way back. But anyways, to me I thought it was a perfect story. I had the sympathetic dwarfs and things. I had the prince and the girl. The romance. I had the heavy. I just thought it was a perfect story.
Walt Disney, on choosing "Snow White" for his first feature film[23]
Disney settled on theBrothers Grimm's 1812 fairy tale "Snow White" in the spring of 1934.[22] He had been familiar with the story since he was a teenager, having seen the1916 silent film version, which he later cited as the primary reason for choosing "Snow White" for his first feature production.[36][37] Disney had originally planned to produceSnow White as aSilly Symphony short, but reconsidered, believing that the story had enough potential for a feature film adaptation.[31][38] He formally announced his plans onSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs toThe New York Times in June 1934, estimating that the film could be produced for a budget of $250,000, which was roughly ten times the budget of an averageSilly Symphony.[39] The project (then known as the "Feature Symphony") was initially developed by a small unit of writers that Disney personally supervised, before it was introduced to the studio staff at large on October 30, 1934, when the basic story outline was completed.[23][40][41] As some animators later recalled, Disney assembled them on the sound stage in the evening and acted out the entire story ofSnow White for three hours, concluding with announcement of their first feature film.[41][42][43]
Although the studio staff were excited about the project, they were unsure that the full-length cartoon would sustain an audience's attention.[44][45]Ward Kimball said that they were told byHollywood moguls (such asW. C. Fields) that "it was OK, six-seven minutes, like the shorts, but an hour and a half, no way! Big reason was that you run out of funny things to do, you had to have a laugh-a-minute. And the bright colors would hurt your eyes, everybody would get up and walk out ... Walt, of course, plugged ahead, he didn't believe that. He felt that if you had a solid story, not only laughs in it, but tragedy, it would go."[45][46] Both Disney's wifeLillian and his brotherRoy (who was also his business partner) attempted unsuccessfully to talk him out of it, and movie-industry insiders derisively referred to the film as "Disney's Folly" while it was in production.[47][48]
Early writing
The earliest known story outline – titled "Manuscript" – was compiled by staff writer Richard Creedon on August 9, 1934,[33][d] featuring twenty-one pages of suggestions for characters, scenes, and songs (including "Some Day My Prince Will Come").[51] At the time, Disney adopted a "wide-ranging approach", remaining open to any idea that could be proposed;[33] notably, one of the suggestions included Snow White traveling through a series of enchanted sites – such as the Sleepy Valley, the Morass of Monsters, and the Valley of the Dragons – before arriving at the dwarfs' cottage.[38] Snow White was originally envisioned to be more tomboyish,[52] with the Queen described as "stately, beautiful in the way of aBenda mask ... a cool serene character who demonstrates her fury only in moments of great passion."[53] One of the potential storylines developed for "Manuscript" involved the Queen imprisoning the Prince in her dungeon, after seeing his affection for Snow White,[54] with the Prince later fighting his way out of her castle with "tricks thatDoug Fairbanks would like to have thought."[55] Other story suggestions included the Queen having a collection of her former enemies reduced to a few inches in size;[56] aGilbert and Sullivan-style musical number for the scene where the Queen orders the Huntsman to kill Snow White;[57] and the sequence of the Queen trying to break the mirror upon learning that Snow White has survived, with the mirror detaching itself from the wall and smashing against the Queen after chasing her around the chamber.[58] Disney also decided from the beginning that each of the Seven Dwarfs – whom he considered the "strongest lure" of the story because of their comedic potential – should have a distinctive personality,[59] identified by a respective name;[60] a pool of over fifty possibilities was compiled for "Manuscript"[61] (with names such as Sleepy, Hoppy, Bashful, Happy, Sneezy-Wheezy, Biggo-Ego, and Awful as the top contenders).[49]
In October 1934, Disney began holding weekly story meetings with a small unit of writers,[42] which included Creedon, Larry Morey,Ted Sears, Albert Hurter, andPinto Colvig.[59] During the first meeting on October 3, several scenes were proposed: the "Soup Eating" (where Snow White has dinner with dwarfs)[62] and "Bed Building" (where the dwarfs build a bed for Snow White)[63] sequences; Snow White teaching the dwarfs to pray; and the climactic scene of the dwarfs chasing the disguised Queen, followed by her death from falling off a cliff.[50] For the next meeting, held on October 9,[50] a typed sheet was complied, featuring a redefined selection of names for the dwarfs – Wheezy, Jumpy, Baldy, Grumpy, Happy, Doc, and Sleepy – and their respective characteristics;[50] several alternatives were also suggested, including Hickey, Sniffy, Stuffy, Shorty, Burpy, Tubby, Dizzy, and Dopey.[64] From the outset, Disney decided to discard the part from the Grimms' original story where the Queen tries to kill Snow White with a tightly laced bodice,[65] but considered retaining the other two attempts (with a poisoned comb and a poisoned apple),[54] both of which were discussed at the meeting.[64] The storyline of the Prince's imprisonment by the Queen, first introduced in "Manuscript",[54] was also elaborated: after failing to kill Snow White with the comb, the Queen would throw the Prince into a dungeon and use magic to make the skeletons of her previous victims dance for him (identifying one skeleton as "Prince Oswald"). When the disguised Queen would have left for the dwarfs' cottage with the poisoned apple, Snow White's bird friends were to help the Prince escape from the dungeon, fight the Queen's guards, and find his horse; the Prince would then go after the Queen, taking the wrong road in the process.[50] Other discussions included the dwarfs' discovery of Snow White in their cottage;[66] two disguises for the Queen – a "fat, bulgy" peddler and a "thin, hawk-faced" witch – for each of her attempts to kill Snow White;[67] and the scene of Snow White kissing the dwarfs goodbye before they leave for work.[68] At the meeting, Disney also insisted that the writers refer to the dwarfs as "seven little men", which was maintained for the rest of the production.[60]
Other examples of the more comical nature of the story at this point included suggestions for a "fat, batty, cartoon type, self-satisfied" Queen.[69] The Prince was also more of a clown and was to serenade Snow White in a more comical fashion. Walt Disney encouraged all staff at the studio to contribute to the story, offering five dollars for every 'gag';[70] such gags included the dwarfs' noses popping over the foot of the bed when they first meet Snow White.
Disney became concerned that such a comical approach would lessen the plausibility of the characters and, sensing that more time was needed for the development of the Queen, advised in an outline circulated on November 6 that attention be paid exclusively to "scenes in which only Snow White, the Dwarfs, and their bird and animal friends appear". The names and personalities of the dwarfs, however, were still "open to change". A meeting on November 16 resulted in another outline entitled 'Dwarfs Discover Snowwhite', which introduced the character of Dopey,[69] who would ultimately prove to be the most successful of the dwarf characterizations.[71] In the original storyboard, Dopey was very talkative, but no suitable voice actors could be found.Mel Blanc was given a try without success. It was suggested to make him mute instead.[72][73] For the rest of 1934, Disney further developed the story by himself, finding a dilemma in the characterization of the Queen, who he felt could no longer be "fat" and "batty", but a "stately beautiful type", a possibility already brought up in previous story meetings.[74]
Reworking
Disney did not focus on the project again until the autumn of 1935. It was believed that theSilly Symphony shortThe Goddess of Spring (1934) may have placed doubt in his studio's abilities to animate a realistic girl.[74] Apparently, a three-month trip to Europe that summer restored his confidence. At this point, Disney and his writers focused on the scenes in which Snow White and the dwarfs are introduced to the audience and each other.[75] He laid out the likely assignments for everyone working on the film in a memorandum on November 25, 1935 and decided on the personalities of the individual dwarfs.[76]
It had first been thought that the dwarfs would be the main focus of the story, and many sequences were written for the seven characters. However, at a certain point, it was decided that the main thrust of the story would be provided by the relationship between the Queen and Snow White.[77] For this reason, several sequences featuring the dwarfs were cut from the film. The first, which was animated in its entirety before being cut, showed Doc and Grumpy arguing about whether Snow White should stay with them. Another, also completely animated, showed the dwarfs eating soup noisily and messily; Snow White unsuccessfully attempts to teach them how to eat 'like gentlemen'. A partially-animated sequence involved the dwarfs holding a "lodge meeting" in which they try to think of a gift for Snow White; this was to be followed by the elaborate 'bed-building sequence', in which the dwarfs and the forest animals construct and carve a bed for the princess. This was also cut, as it was thought to slow down the movement of the story.[77] The soup-eating and bed-building sequences were animated byWard Kimball, who was sufficiently discouraged by their removal to consider leaving the studio; Disney, however, persuaded him to stay by promoting Kimball to be the supervising animator ofJiminy Cricket in Disney’s next feature,Pinocchio (1940).[78]
Casting
I wanted to get a voice for Snow White that would be kind of away from every day. You know kind of off in another world. And I was hunting for a certain quality voice. So I had a boy searching for voices. He went everywhere. I wanted someone who could sing, too, because I was going to use a lot of songs. So he kept bringing these people in ... So one day he came in with a voice. I listened to it. I said "That's perfect." I said "She sounds to me like a 14-year-old girl." And he said "Well, she's 18. You know?" But that was it. It was a little girl called Adriana Caselotti and she came from an opera family ... She could do all this beautiful birdlike stuff. So I signed her.
Adriana Caselotti was the first audition for the role of Snow White in September 1934.[50][80] She was invited to audition after Disney's casting director Roy Scott telephoned her father (who was a vocal coach inLos Angeles) in search for voice talents, and Caselotti, overhearing their conversation, recommended herself for the part.[11][81] Although Walt Disney was impressed with her voice, he auditioned about 150 other actresses and singers; these includedDeanna Durbin, whom Disney rejected because he thought she sounded too mature.[79][82][83]Virginia Davis was nearly hired to provide the speaking voice of Snow White (as well as the live-action reference for the character), but eventually dropped out due to finding the contract unacceptable, although some of Davis' miscellaneous vocal tracks were used in the final film.[84][85][86] Caselotti was cast as Snow White in September 1935, exactly one year after her first audition, and recorded her first tracks on January 20, 1936.[50][84] She was called in for forty-four days of recording sessions within two years, receiving $20 for each day (in total, Caselotti was paid $970).[50][83][87]Thelma Hubbard provided Snow White's screams in the forest flight scene and later voiced the character in the film's 1938 Spanish dub andLux Radio Theatre adaptation.[86][88]
The studio auditioned over a dozen actresses for the role of the Queen beforeLucille La Verne was chosen, although several members of Disney's staff contended that she sounded a "little old" for the part.[84][89] Having portrayed similar characters inOrphans of the Storm (1921) andA Tale of Two Cities (1935), La Verne also tried out for the role of the Witch, and the animators initially felt that her voice was "too smooth and not rough enough" until she removed her false teeth.[12][14][84]Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs marks La Verne's final film performance before her death in 1942.[90]Kenny Baker was temporarily considered for the role of the Prince, with several other actors tested, beforeHarry Stockwell was cast in 1936.[55][91]Reginald Barlow andCy Kendall recorded the preliminary dialogue for the Huntsman, but both were deemed unsatisfactory for the final cut; the role was eventually given toStuart Buchanan (who was hired by the studio as casting director and dialogue coach in 1936).[92]
Story meeting notes from October 9, 1934 indicate that Eddie Holden andBilly Bletcher were initially considered for the role of Doc[50] until Atwell was cast in early 1936.[93] Radio actor John Gibson initially auditioned for the part of Sleepy and recorded some dialogue at a pre-recording session in February 1936.[94] After reading about the casting in aVariety article, Gilbert, who was known for his signature sneeze, telephoned Disney to try out for the role. Disney agreed to audition him and, upon witnessing Gilbert's "sneezing routine", hired him on the spot.[95]
Animation
Art direction
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs features contributions from three European artists who came to work at Walt Disney Studios in the 1930s.[96] By 1936, Albert Hurter was assigned to supervise the film's art direction;[97] all the designs used in the film, from character costume designs to layouts and backgrounds, had to meet his approval before being finalized.[98] Having hadacademic art training, Hurter was instrumental in devising the film's overall Germanic look, incorporating European illustrations and painting techniques into the animation.[99] Ferdinand Horvath, who had been working at the studio since 1934,[100] was also hired as the film's inspirational sketch artist, providing a number of dark concepts for the film. Many of his other designs were ultimately rejected since they were less easily translated into animation than Hurter's, and Hovarth didn't receive a credit for the film.[101] By the spring of 1936, as the animation process had begun, with Hurter and Hovarth being joined byGustaf Tenggren. Tenggren was a color stylist determined the staging and atmosphere of many of the scenes in the film, with his style borrowing from the likes ofArthur Rackham andJohn Bauer and thus possessing the European illustration quality that Disney sought.[102] He also designed the posters for the film and illustrated the press book. Other artists to work on the film includedJoe Grant, whose most significant contribution was the design forthe Queen's Witch form.[103]
Character animation
Don Graham really knew what he was teaching, and he "showed" you how to do something – he didn't just talk. He taught us things that were very important for animation. How to simplify our drawings – how to cut out all the unnecessary hen scratching amateurs have a habit of using. He showed us how to make a drawing look solid. He taught us about tension points – like a bent knee, and how the pant leg comes down from that knee and how important the wrinkles from it are to describe form. I learned a hell of a lot from him!
Art Babbitt, an animator who joined the Disney studio in 1932, invited seven of his colleagues (who worked in the same room as him) to come with him to an art class that he himself had set up at his home in the Hollywood Hills. Though there was no teacher, Babbitt had recruited a model to pose for him and his fellow animators as they drew. These "classes" were held weekly; each week, more animators would come. After three weeks, Walt Disney called Babbit to his office and offered to provide the supplies, working space and models required if the sessions were moved to the studio. Babbitt ran the sessions for a month until animatorHardie Gramatky suggested that they recruitDon Graham, an art teacher from the Chouinard Institute. Graham taught his first class at the studio on November 15, 1932, and was joined by Philip L. Dike a few weeks later.[39] These classes were principally concerned with human anatomy and movement, though instruction later included action analysis, animal anatomy and acting.[104]
Though the classes were originally described as a "brutal battle", with neither instructor nor students well-versed in the other's craft,[39] the enthusiasm and energy of both parties made the classes stimulating and beneficial for all involved. Graham often screened Disney shorts and, along with the animators, provided critique featuring both strengths and weaknesses. For example, Graham criticised Babbitt's animation of Abner the mouse inThe Country Cousin as "taking a few of the obvious actions of a drunk without coordinating the rest of the body", while praising it for maintaining its humour without getting "dirty or mean or vulgar. The country mouse is always having a good time".[104]
The first duty of the cartoon is not to picture or duplicate real action or things as they actually happen—but to give a caricature of life and action—to picture on the screen things that have run thru the imagination of the audience to bring to life dream-fantasies and imaginative fancies that we have all thought of during our lives or have had pictured to us in various forms during our lives [...] I definitely feel that we cannot do the fantastic things, based on the real, unless we first know the real. This point should be brought out very clearly to all new men, and even the older men.
Very few of the animators at the Disney studio had had artistic training (most had been newspaper cartoonists); among the few who did wereGrim Natwick, who had trained in Europe. The animator's success in designing and animatingBetty Boop forFleischer Studios showed an understanding of human female anatomy and, when Walt Disney hired Natwick, he was given female characters to animate almost exclusively. Attempts to animate Persephone, the female lead ofThe Goddess of Spring, had proved largely unsuccessful; Natwick's animation of the heroine inCookie Carnival showed greater promise, and the animator was eventually given the task of animating Snow White herself. Though live action footage of Snow White, with the Prince and the Queen being shot as reference for the animators, the artists' animators disapproved ofrotoscoping, considering it to hinder the production of effective caricature. Nevertheless, all of the above-mentioned characters were fully rotoscoped and utilized by their respective artists, some more, some less.[106] Despite Graham and Natwick's objections, however, some scenes of Snow White and the Prince were directly traced from the live-action footage.[104]
It proved difficult to add color to Snow White's and the Queen's faces. Eventually, they found a red dye that worked and which was added with a small piece of cotton wrapped around a tipple pencil on each individual cel.Helen Ogger, an employee at the ink department, was also an animator and decided to use the same system used in animation. The method was so time-consuming that it was never used again on the same scale. It was also used to a smaller degree inPinocchio andFantasia but, after Ogger left the studio in 1941, there was no one else with the same expertise who could replace her.[107]
The songs inSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs were composed byFrank Churchill andLarry Morey.Paul J. Smith andLeigh Harline composed the incidental music score. Songs from the film include "Heigh-Ho", "Someday My Prince Will Come", and "Whistle While You Work".[108][109] Since Disney did not have its own music publishing company at the time, the publishing rights for the music and songs were administered throughBourne Co. Music Publishers, which continues to hold these rights. In later years, the studio was able to acquire back the music rights from many of their other films, but notSnow White,Pinocchio,Dumbo or mostSilly Symphony cartoons.Snow White became the first American film to have asoundtrack album, released in conjunction with the feature film.
Cinematic influences
At this time, Disney also encouraged his staff to see a variety of films. These ranged from the mainstream, such as MGM'sRomeo and Juliet (1936)—to which Disney made a direct reference in a story meeting pertaining to the scene in which Snow White lies in her glass coffin—to the more obscure, including Europeansilent cinema.[104]Romeo and Juliet also inspired the balcony scene between Snow White and Prince Charming.[110][111]
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, as well as the two Disney films to follow it, were influenced by suchGerman expressionist films asNosferatu (1922) andThe Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), both of which were recommended by Disney to his staff. This influence is particularly evident in the scenes of Snow White fleeing through the forest and the Queen's transformation into the Witch. The latter scene was also inspired byDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), to which Disney made specific reference in story meetings.[104]
Financial issues
Disney had to mortgage his house to help finance the film's production, which ran up a total cost of $1,488,422.74, a massive sum for a feature film in 1937.[1] Midway through, Disney needed a $250,000 loan to finish the film. Disney ran a rough cut forJoseph Rosenberg ofBank of America, who sat impassively during the showing. Then Rosenberg turned to the worried Disney and said, "Walt, that thing is going to make a hatful of money" and approved the loan.[112]
Snow White proved equally popular with foreign audiences. It premiered in London on February 24, 1938, ironically the same night as Charles Laughton's first film as a producer,Vessel of Wrath, leading to a poor turnout for the latter.[118] In September 1938,Variety reported that the film was having a remarkably long box-office run at theaters in Sydney, Australia. In that city, it noted, "Walt Disney's 'Snow White' (RKO) experienced no difficulty at hitting 11 weeks, with more ahead."[119]Variety reported as well thatSnow White was having even longer runs in other cities overseas, such as inLondon, where the film had generated greater box-office receipts than during its exclusive New York screenings at Radio City Music Hall:
'Snow White' (RKO) is in its 27th week at theNew Gallery, London, and will continue to be shown through the regular London release dates, Sept. 19 for North London, and Sept. 26 for South London. There is a likelihood that the New Gallery first-run will run until Christmas. Picture reported to have exceeded $500,000, passing Radio City's five-week mark, which just fell short of the $500,000 mark.[119]
According to RKO,Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs had earned $7,846,000 in international box office receipts by the end of its original theatrical run.[120] This earned RKO a profit of $380,000.[121]
Re-releases
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was first re-released in 1944, to raise revenue for the Disney studio during theWorld War II period. This re-release set a tradition of re-releasing Disney animated features every few years, andSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs was re-released to theaters in 1952, 1958, 1967, 1975, 1983, 1987 and 1993.[122] Coinciding with the 50th-anniversary release in 1987, Disney released one of many authorized novelizations of the story, this one written by children's authorSuzanne Weyn.[123][124]
In 1993,Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs became the first film to be entirely scanned to digital files, manipulated, and recorded back to film. The restoration project was carried out entirely at4K resolution and 10-bitcolor depth using theCineon system (10 bits each of red, green and blue—30 in total) to digitally remove dirt and scratches.[125]
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has had a lifetime gross of $418 million across its original release and several reissues.[2][126][127] Adjusted for inflation, and incorporating subsequent releases, the film remains one of the top-10 American film moneymakers of all time[128] and is the highest-grossing animated film.[129]
As part of Disney's 100th anniversary, the film was re-released in cinemas across the UK on August 4, 2023, for one week.[130]
Critical reception
The film was a tremendous critical success, with many reviewers hailing it as a genuine work of art, recommended for both children and adults.[131] Although film histories often state that the animation of the human characters was criticized, more recent scholarship found that contemporary reviewers praised the realistic style of the human animation, with several stating that audiences had forgotten that they were watching animated humans rather than real ones.[131]Frank S. Nugent ofThe New York Times felt that "Mr. Disney and his technical crew have outdone themselves. The picture more than matches expectations. It is a classic, as importantly cinematically asThe Birth of a Nation or the birth of Mickey Mouse. Nothing quite like it has been done before; and already we have gone impolite enough to clamor for an encore."[132]Variety observed that "[so] perfect is the illusion, so tender the romance and fantasy, so emotional are certain portions when the acting of the characters strikes a depth comparable to the sincerity of human players, that the film approaches real greatness."[133]Harrison's Reports wroteSnow White was "entertainment that should be enjoyed by every one. Intelligent adults will marvel at the mechanical ingenuity that went into the making of it; and it is something to marvel at, for at times the characters seem lifelike. That is brought about by the expert synchronization of the action with the music and the dialogue."[134]
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is referred by many critics as one of the greatest animated films in history.Rolling Stone ranked it fourth on its list of the greatest animated films of all time, calling it the one that "changed the future of animation."[141]Time magazine ranked the film as the 13th best animated film of all time.[142]Harper's Bazaar listed the film as the number one animated film of all time, crediting it as the one that started it all.[143] On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 97% of 122 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "With its involving story and characters, vibrant art, and memorable songs,Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs set the animation standard for decades to come."[144]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 96 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[145]
TheAmerican Film Institute (AFI), an independent non-profit organization created in the United States by theNational Endowment for the Arts,[147] releases a variety of annual awards and film lists recognizing excellence in filmmaking. TheAFI 100 Years... series, which ran from 1998 to 2008, created categorized lists of America's best movies as selected by juries composed from among over 1,500 artists, scholars, critics, and historians. A film's inclusion in one of these lists was based on the film's popularity over time, historical significance and cultural impact.[148]Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was selected by juries for inclusion on many AFI lists, including the following:
On October 28, 1994, the film was released in the United States for the first time on home video onVHS andLaserDisc as the first release in the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection.[154] Two versions were available in each format, including a deluxe edition.[155] The deluxe edition contained the film along with several bonus material such as a making-of documentary, an archival interview of Walt Disney, deleted scenes, a hardcover book and lithographs of the original theater posters.[156] By 1995, the film had sold 24million home video units and grossed$430 million.[157] As of 2002, the film had sold 25.1million home video units in the United States.[158]
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released on DVD on October 9, 2001, the first in Disney's Platinum Editions, and featured across two discs the digitally restored film, a making-of documentary narrated byAngela Lansbury, an audio commentary byJohn Canemaker and, via archived audio clips,Walt Disney.[159][160] That release was alsoTHX certified and included games, a sing-along, and other bonus features.[161] It sold a record 1 million copies in 24 hours.[162] A VHS release followed on November 27, 2001. Both versions were returned to theDisney Vault on January 31, 2002.[163] As of 2001, the film grossed a combined$1.1 billion from box office and home video revenue.[164]
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released onBlu-ray on October 6, 2009, the first of Disney's Diamond Editions, and a new DVD edition was released on November 24, 2009. The Blu-ray release includes a high-definition version of the movie sourced from a new restoration byLowry Digital, a DVD copy of the film, and several bonus features not included on the 2001 DVD. This set returned to the Disney Vault on April 30, 2011.[165]
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment re-releasedSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs on Blu-ray and DVD on February 2, 2016, as the first of the Walt Disney Signature Collection line. It was released on Digital HD on January 19, 2016, with bonus material.[166]
In 2023, in celebration of the 100th anniversary ofThe Walt Disney Company, a new 4K restoration of the film was produced and released on4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on October 10 as part of the Disney100 promotion, making it the oldest feature-length animated film ever to be released in the format. The new remaster was scanned from the original 35mm Technicolor negative through a multi-year effort by Disney's Restoration and Preservation team and key members ofWalt Disney Animation Studios, includingEric Goldberg, Michael Giaimo,Dorothy McKim, and Bob Bagley, all of whom also worked on the 4K remaster ofCinderella (1950). On the process, Goldberg remarked "The opportunity to help restoreSnow White was both an honor and a challenge ... we owed a debt to history to get it looking as beautiful and as accurate to the original colors as we could."[167][168] This version also began streaming onDisney+ on October 16, 2023.[169]
Following the film's release, a number ofSnow White themed merchandise were sold, including hats, dolls, garden seeds, and glasses. The film's merchandise generated sales of$8 million, equivalent to over$100 million adjusted for inflation.[170] The film's intellectual property has been franchised across a diverse range of mediums, including a Broadway musical, video games, and theme park rides.
Snow White's success led to Disney moving ahead with more feature-film productions. Walt Disney used much of the profits fromSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs to finance a new $4.5 million studio inBurbank – the site ofWalt Disney Studios to this day.[171] Within two years, the studio completedPinocchio andFantasia and had begun production on features such asDumbo,Bambi,Alice in Wonderland andPeter Pan.[172]
As of March 2025, it is the oldest film to have joined the "One Million Watched Club" onLetterboxd, surpassing previous record-holderThe Wizard of Oz.[173]
The film's copyright was renewed in 1965, and as a published work from 1937, it will enter theAmerican public domain on January 1, 2033.[174]
Comics adaptations
TheSilly Symphony Sundaycomic strip ran a four-month-long adaptation ofSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs from December 12, 1937, to April 24, 1938. The comic was written byMerrill De Maris, and drawn by Hank Porter and Bob Grant.[175] This adaptation was republished several times as a comic book, most recently in 1995.[176]
Mondadori, the official Italian publisher ofDisney comics, produced several comic book sequels of the 1937 film. The first story was published in 1939.[177]
Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released for theGame Boy Color system in 2001.[183] Snow White also makes an appearance in thePlayStation 2 gameKingdom Hearts as one of the seven fabledPrincesses of Heart.[184] A world based on the movie,Dwarf Woodlands, appears inKingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep for thePSP.[185] In 2013's free-to-play mobile gameSnow White: Queen's Return (also known asSeven Dwarfs: The Queen's Return),[186] an uncanonical continuation of the film, the Queen has survived the fall at the climax of the film and then reverted to her youthful form to cast a curse on Snow White and the dwarfs and their entire forest.[187] Theworld builder video gameDisney Magic Kingdoms includes Snow White, all seven dwarfs, the Queen and Prince Charming as playable characters, as well as attractions such as Magic Mirror on the Wall, Seven Dwarfs' Cottage,Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, andSnow White's Scary Adventures.[188][189]
Radio City Music Hall Stage musical
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the first Disney-produced musical on the New York stage. Unknown Mary Jo Salerno played Snow White in the Disney-producedSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs (televised asSnow White Live!) at theRadio City Music Hall.[190] Music and lyrics for four new songs were created by Jay Blackton and Joe Cook, respectively; titles included "Welcome to the Kingdom of Once Upon a Time" and "Will I Ever See Her Again?".[191] It ran from October 18 to November 18, 1979, and January 11 to March 9, 1980, a total of 106 performances.[192] A cast album was issued by Buena Vista Records.Walt Disney’s “Snow White at Radio City” on Records |
Canceled prequel
In the 2000s,DisneyToon Studios began development on a computer-animated prequel toSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs, titledThe Seven Dwarfs. DirectorMike Disa and screenwriterEvan Spiliotopoulos pitched a story explaining how the Dwarfs met, and how the Evil Queen killed Snow White's father and took the throne. According to Disa, DisneyToon management changed the prequel's plot to center around how Dopey lost his voice upon witnessing the death of his mother. After Disney purchasedPixar in 2006,John Lasseter, DisneyToons' new Chief Creative Officer, canceledThe Seven Dwarfs.[193]
Exhibition
A behind-the-scenes exhibition titledSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Creation of a Classic took place atThe Walt Disney Family Museum from November 15, 2012, to April 14, 2013. The event celebrated the film's 75th anniversary by displaying more than 200 pieces of rare concept art and animation. It also detailed the entire story of the film's production, its release and the worldwide recognition it has earned through the years.[194][195]Two extensive companion books,The Fairest One of All: The Making of Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs andSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Art and Creation of Walt Disney’s Classic Animated Film were written byJ.B. Kaufman and published by Weldon Owen on October 16, 2012.[196][197]
The Seven Dwarfs made several appearances in shorts, and despite their popularity they were too numerous to animate efficiently. Commissioned shortsThe Standard Parade (1939),The Seven Wise Dwarfs (1941, using mostly recycled footage),All Together (1942) andThe Winged Scourge (1943) all include appearances.[209]
The 1984 filmGremlins featured the cartoon in the theater scenes.[210]
^Records, Guinness World (2014).Guinness World Records. Vol. 60 (2015 ed.). Guinness World Records. pp. 160–161.ISBN9781908843708.The 2015 edition of Guinness World Records does not provide an explicit figure forSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs. However, it does state that it is one of only two pre-1955 films—the other beingGone with the Wind—that are among the adjusted top ten. It placed tenth in the 2012 edition, and the eleventh highest-grossing film according to the 2015 edition isThe Exorcist, which has grossed $1.794 billion adjusted to 2014 prices. The adjusted grosses for the other films on the chart increased by 4.2 percent between 2011 and 2014 according to Guinness, and using this apparent rate of inflation would take the adjusted gross forSnow White from $1.746 billion at 2011 prices to $1.819 billion at 2014 prices.
^Records, Guinness World (2014).Guinness World Records. Vol. 60 (2015 ed.). Guinness World Records. pp. 160–161.ISBN978-1-9088-4370-8.The 2015 edition of Guinness World Records does not provide an explicit figure forSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs. However, it does state that it is one of only two pre-1955 films—the other beingGone with the Wind—that are among the adjusted top ten. It placed tenth in the 2012 edition, and the eleventh highest-grossing film according to the 2015 edition isThe Exorcist, which has grossed $1.794 billion adjusted to 2014 prices. The adjusted grosses for the other films on the chart increased by 4.2 percent between 2011 and 2014 according to Guinness and using this apparent rate of inflation would take the adjusted gross forSnow White from $1.746 billion at 2011 prices to $1.819 billion at 2014 prices.
^abcDisney's 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs': Still the Fairest of Them All (Documentary film) (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Platinum DVD ed.).Buena Vista Home Entertainment. 2001.
^Snow White: The Making of a Masterpiece (Documentary film) (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection Deluxe ed.).Buena Vista Home Entertainment. 1994.
^abcdefGirveau, Bruno, ed. (2006).Once Upon a Time — Walt Disney: The Sources of inspiration for the Disney Studios. London: Prestel.ISBN978-3-7913-3770-8.
^Johnson, David (2017).Snow White's People: An Oral History of the Disney Film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs — Vol. 1. Theme Park Press.ISBN978-1-6839-0054-2.
^Johnson, David (1988)."Not Rouge, Mr. Thomas!".Animation Artist Magazine. Archived from the original on May 10, 2000.
^Walt Disney's classic Snow White and the seven dwarfs: based on Walt Disney's full-length animated classic. Dublin OH.OCLC123104598 – via WorldCat.org.
^"Mediaweek".Mediaweek. Vol. 5. A/S/M Communications. 1995. p. 29.Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. RetrievedAugust 16, 2018.Most people would correctly guess Snow White, which moved 24 million units at a retail price of about $18 a pop — call it $430 million gross.
^"The inside story of how DVDs became the entertainment industry's most lucrative product".Newsweek. Vol. 138. 2001. p. 189.Archived from the original on August 20, 2020. RetrievedAugust 16, 2018.Disney has milked$1.1 billion out of the perky princess since "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" first arrived in 1937, rereleasing the movie eight times in theaters for each successive generation, and then selling millions of videotapes in two "limited" releases.
^Taliaferro, Al; Osborne, Ted; De Maris, Merrill (2016).Silly Symphonies: The Complete Disney Classics, vol 2. San Diego: IDW Publishing.ISBN978-1631408045.
Kaufman, J. B. (2012a).Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Art and Creation of Walt Disney's Classic Animated Film. Weldon Owen.ISBN978-1-6162-8437-4.
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